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The inaugural food festival will host some of the area’s top local restaurants at the two-day event

NAPLES, Fla. – Today, Chubb Classic officials announced the participation of 12 local restaurants and over 40 different craft beer choices at BITE SW Florida, a two-day food, beer, wine and spirits festival. BITE SW Florida will take place February 12 & February 13 in conjunction with the PGA TOUR Champions tournament held at the TwinEagles Club in Naples. A limited number of tickets are still available for both days of the event.

“BITE SW Florida will feature the best local and national restaurants, beers, wine and spirits all located within the SW Florida region,” said Chubb Classic Tournament Director Matt Hilliker. “Our unlimited sampling ticket allows us to showcase each participating restaurant and ensures that ticketholders can truly take a bite out of SW Florida.”

BITE SW Florida ticketholders can come out and watch the legends of the PGA TOUR Champions play at the Chubb Classic, then head to the TwinEagles Driving range to sample menu items prepared by some of Naples’ best local restaurants. The food items will be paired with samples of wine, craft beer and spirits, all taking place on the TwinEagles Club Driving Range. Below is a complete list of BITE SW Florida participants, to date.

Participating Restaurants & Spirits:

Blue Point Brewing Company

Boston Beer Garden

Casalvento Wine

David Frost Wine

Fire & Rice, Naples

Fish Crazy Restaurant and Fish Market

Goose Island Brewery

Hurricanes Grill & Wings

Inca’s Kitchen

Kona Brewing Company

Livernano Wine

New York Pizza & Pasta

Paradise Wines

Randy’s Fishmarket Restaurant

Seasons 52

Seminole Casino Hotel

Stevie Tomato’s Sports Page

Sweet Tomatoes

The Counter

Wicked Dolphin Rum

To become a vendor contact BITE SW Florida Coordinator Kyler O’Shea at Kyler.Oshea@octagon.com or the tournament office at (239) 593-3900 for more information.

General admission tickets to BITE SW Florida are $45 per day, which includes access to the event on the selected day and daily grounds access to the Chubb Classic on the selected day as well. For those who plan to attend the tournament or have already bought Chubb Classic tickets, a $20 upgraded ticket for access to BITE SW Florida can be purchased. Only a limited amount of tickets to BITE SW Florida will be available each day. To purchase tickets, please visit www.chubbclassic.com.

For more information about tickets to BITE SW Florida or to get involved as a participating restaurant or vendor, please visit www.chubbclassic.com or call the Tournament Office at (239) 593-3900.

NAPLES, Fla. – Today, ACE Group Classic officials announced the addition of BITE SW Florida to the tournament’s festivities at The TwinEagles Club in Naples, February 9 – 14. BITE SW Florida is a two day food, beer, wine and spirits festival being held Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13 on the TwinEagles Driving Range. The inaugural festival will kick off each afternoon in conjunction with the PGA TOUR Champions tournament and include live music.

“We are excited to introduce this brand new event to Naples and SW Florida community, and to celebrate the best local restaurants, beer, wine and liquor this region has to offer,” said Tournament Director Matt Hilliker. “BITE SW Florida will be the ultimate experience for foodies, beer and wine lovers and everyone in between with a wide variety of options to satisfy any palate.”

BITE SW Florida ticketholders will be invited to sample menu items prepared by some of Naples’ best local restaurants including Seasons 52, Fire & Rice, The Counter, and Randy’s Fishmarket Restaurant. The food selections will be paired with wine, craft beer and spirits such as Cape Coral’s own Wicked Dolphin Rum distillery, all taking place on the TwinEagles Club Driving Range. For a complete list of participating restaurants and spirits, please visit www.acegroupclassic.com.

General admission tickets to BITE SW Florida are $45 per day, which includes access to the event on the selected day and daily grounds access to the ACE Group Classic on the selected day as well. For those who plan to attend the tournament or have already bought ACE Group Classic tickets, a $20 upgraded ticket for access to BITE SW Florida can be purchased. Only a limited amount of tickets to BITE SW Florida will be available each day.

For more information on tickets to BITE SW Florida or to get involved as a participating vendor or restaurant, please click HERE or call the Tournament Office at (239) 593-3900.

Challenge grows to nine chapters including the First Tee of Naples/Collier

NAPLES, Fla. – The ACE Group Classic seeks to engage young golfers by inviting several First Tee Chapters from throughout the country to participate in a three-day golf competition at the TwinEagles Club in Naples, Fla. during the ACE Group Classic, February 9 – 14, 2016. On behalf of the Naples, Marco Island, Convention and Visitors Bureau, 18 First Tee participants (two participants from nine different chapters) have been invited to participate in the Golf to Paradise – First Tee Champions Challenge.

“We are excited to expand the First Tee Champions Challenge in its second year to nine teams, representing the nine core values of The First Tee,” said Tournament Director Matt Hilliker. “With the help of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, we hope to continue growing the game of golf and instill the First Tee’s core values in youth across America and right here in the Naples community.”

The nine Chapters participating in the Challenge will be traveling from across the country from the following markets: The First Tee of Naples/Collier, The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, The First Tee of Pittsburgh, The First Tee of the Triangle, The First Tee of Chicago, The First Tee of West Michigan, The First Tee of Greater New York and The First Tee of Roanoke Valley.

Teams will play nine holes each of the three days with a different format every day. On Friday, the groups will play in a scramble, followed by a modified alternate shot on Saturday, and finishing out the weekend playing a better ball format on Sunday. Total score upon completion of all three formats will determine our winners at this year’s First Tee Champions Challenge.

“We are very excited to once again sponsor the First Tee Champions Challenge as part of the ACE Group Classic. These young golfers are the future of the game of golf in the US and their skills and dedication to the game are a real inspiration to golfers of all ages,” Jack Wert, Executive Director, Marco Island, Everglades CVB. “We heard wonderful comments from last year’s participants about the great tips and friendship they received from the pros met and played with. We wish all the First Tee participants great success in this year’s event.”

In 2015, Wade Schaller and Hanna Brauburger both 18, of Bentonville, Ark. representing First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, won a four-hole tournament to play Wednesday’s ACE Group Classic Official Pro-Am.

The ACE Group Classic will be hosted at TwinEagles Golf Club on February 9-15. This PGA TOUR Champions event has been held since 1988, and will feature 81 of the world’s best players battling for a $1.6 million purse.

Challenge grows to nine chapters including the First Tee of Naples/Collier

NAPLES, Fla. – The ACE Group Classic seeks to engage young golfers by inviting several First Tee Chapters from throughout the country to participate in a three-day golf competition at the TwinEagles Club in Naples, Fla. during the ACE Group Classic, February 9 – 14, 2016. On behalf of the Naples, Marco Island, Convention and Visitors Bureau, 18 First Tee participants (two participants from nine different chapters) have been invited to participate in the Golf to Paradise – First Tee Champions Challenge.

“We are excited to expand the First Tee Champions Challenge in its second year to nine teams, representing the nine core values of The First Tee,” said Tournament Director Matt Hilliker. “With the help of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, we hope to continue growing the game of golf and instill the First Tee’s core values in youth across America and right here in the Naples community.”

The nine Chapters participating in the Challenge will be traveling from across the country from the following markets: The First Tee of Naples/Collier, The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, The First Tee of Pittsburgh, The First Tee of the Triangle, The First Tee of Chicago, The First Tee of West Michigan, The First Tee of Greater New York and The First Tee of Roanoke Valley.

Teams will play nine holes each of the three days with a different format every day. On Friday, the groups will play in a scramble, followed by a modified alternate shot on Saturday, and finishing out the weekend playing a better ball format on Sunday. Total score upon completion of all three formats will determine our winners at this year’s First Tee Champions Challenge.

“We are very excited to once again sponsor the First Tee Champions Challenge as part of the ACE Group Classic. These young golfers are the future of the game of golf in the US and their skills and dedication to the game are a real inspiration to golfers of all ages,” Jack Wert, Executive Director, Marco Island, Everglades CVB. “We heard wonderful comments from last year’s participants about the great tips and friendship they received from the pros met and played with. We wish all the First Tee participants great success in this year’s event.”

In 2015, Wade Schaller and Hanna Brauburger both 18, of Bentonville, Ark. representing First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, won a four-hole tournament to play Wednesday’s ACE Group Classic Official Pro-Am.

The ACE Group Classic will be hosted at TwinEagles Golf Club on February 9-15. This PGA TOUR Champions event has been held since 1988, and will feature 81 of the world’s best players battling for a $1.6 million purse.

Lee Janzen made a clutch 8-foot birdie on the 54th hole to tie Bart Bryant and then took advantage of a miscue by Bryant on the first playoff hole to win the ACE Group Classic. Bryant had posted a 16-under-par score of 200 and led Janzen by one stroke as Janzen headed to No. 18. After hitting his 9-iron from 140 yards to eight feet he drained his putt to force a playoff. After each hit their drives in the playoff, Bryant’s second hit railroad ties in front of 18 and caromed into the water opening the door for Janzen. Janzen then hit his 7-iron to 40 feet and two putted for the win.

With his victory, Lee Janzen wins a Tour event for the first time since the 1998 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club, a span of 16 years, 7 months, 25 days. This was his 413th start since his victory and that includes all three Tours.

His victory also earns him a berth in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai for the next two years as well as 240 Charles Schwab Cup points and the $240,000 first prize.

Janzen has won in Naples previously. He teamed with Rocco Mediate, a teammate at Florida Southern, to win the 2002 Franklin Templeton Shootout which was held at Tiburon Golf Club.

This was Janzen’s eighth start on the Champions Tour and he wins the event at age 50 years, 5 months, 18 days. His previous best finish was a T6 at last year’s Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.

By winning on Sunday, Lee Janzen kept an impressive streak alive. The winner of The ACE Group Classic has now come out of the final grouping in each of the last 15 years. The last time it didn’t happen was in 2000 when Lanny Wadkins needed a final-round 64 to rally from three strokes back and eventually triumphed in a playoff.

Janzen is also the fourth player to win his first Champions Tour title in Naples: Allen Doyle (1999), Lanny Wadkins (2000) and Fred Couples (2010) are the others.

Bart Bryant tied the tournament-course record when he finished with a 10-under-par 62 on Sunday. Larry Mize set the mark in 2012 and it was later matched by Kenny Perry and Bernhard Langer. Bryant’s 62 matched his career low on the Champions Tour. He originally posted a 62 at the 2013 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open and he later matched it at the 2014 Shaw Charity Classic.

Bart Bryant made an eagle on the par-4 opening hole, sinking a 9-iron from 148 yards.

Greg Kraft enjoyed a nice finish in his Champions Tour debut. Kraft, who open qualified earlier in the week, closed with a 4-under-par 68 to finish T18.

Bernhard Langer, who was T5 after two rounds, withdrew prior to the start of Sunday’s final round due to a family matter.

Colin Montgomerie bid to go wire-to-wire in this event ended when he finished with an even-par 72 and dropped to fifth place.

Gene Sauers has now posted 17 consecutive rounds par/better dating back to the 2014 season. He shot a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday.

The most difficult hole on Saturday was No. 2 with an average score of 3.300 (+.300). There were just two birdies – Jose Coceres and Grant Waite.

With his T10 finish Tom Byrum earned a berth in the upcoming Tucson Conquistadores Classic for a player not otherwise exempt.

There were 22 rounds in the 60s and 46 players finished below par on Sunday and the field averaged 71.893 for the event. A year ago the average was 71.738.

Happening during the ACE Group Classic

Location: The TwinEagles Club
11725 TwinEagles blvd. Naples, FL 34120

*Parking on-site $20, general parking at Collier fairgrounds for $7 with shuttles running every 15 minutes

As soon as the last putt drops on Friday, live music from the Craig Singleton and the Big City Band will begin and continue throughout the rest of the afternoon. All ticketed spectators over 21 are welcome to join Happy Hour at the Michelob ULTRA 19th hole or purchase a $10 Friday FanFest ticket which gives you samples of 10 of the 33 craft beer or wine and 3 food samples from local restaurants Boston Beer Garden, Bokampers, Fish Crazy, fire & Rice and Stevie Tomato’s. Friday FanFest will be from 2-5pm on the tournament grounds.

Friday FanFest tickets are available hereor by calling the Tournament Office at 239.593.3900.

Featured Restaurants:

Community: Stryker Health Walk and Mobility Zone will be both educational and fun for fans at the 2015 tournament

Competition: Stryker Ambassadors Fred Funk and Hal Sutton announced in the field

NAPLES, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2015) – ACE Group Classic tournament officials announced Stryker, the Official Joint Replacement Products of the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, as a new partner for the 2015 tournament today. The tournament is being held February 10-15 at the TwinEagles Club in Naples, Fla.

“The partnership with Stryker is the perfect fit for our event and fan base. With their help, we will provide fans with health conscious, fun and interactive experiences onsite in the Stryker Mobility Zone and the Stryker Health Walk Program,” said Tournament Director Gail Graham.

Stryker Orthopedics will showcase the Stryker Mobility Zone, a joint-health destination at the ACE Group Classic providing consumers with education about the latest options for hip and knee pain. Located adjacent to the driving range, the Stryker Mobility Zone will feature local physicians providing free hip and knee assessments. Tournament goers will have the chance to interact with onsite physicians, and learn firsthand how Fred Funk and Hal Sutton saved their careers from joint pain.

The Stryker Health Walk will start and finish at the Stryker Mobility Zone where each spectator that visits will be provided a free pedometer courtesy of Stryker to track their steps during their day at the ACE Group Classic. “Our hope is that fans will be inspired by the distance walked at the event and begin to use the pedometer in their everyday lives leading to a healthier, more active lifestyle,” said Bill Huffnagle, President of Stryker.

In conjunction with today’s announcement, tournament officials also announce that Stryker Ambassadors Fred Funk (nine-time Champions Tour and eight-time PGA Tour winner) and Hal Sutton (14-time PGA Tour winner and former Ryder Cup Captain) have committed to play in the 2015 ACE Group Classic. Further field announcements will follow.

The ACE Group is one of the world’s largest multiline property and casualty insurers. With operations in 53 countries, ACE provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. ACE Limited, the parent company of the ACE Group, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACE) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information can be found at: www.acegroup.com.

About The TwinEagles ClubTwinEagles is conveniently located just 6 miles east of I-75 off Immokalee Road in Naples. Additional information on this premier community and club can be found at: www.twineagles.com.

About the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB

Whether travelers are looking for a romantic escape or family getaway, Florida’s Paradise Coast – Naples, Marco Island and the western portion of the Everglades – has an array of vacation options year-round. With more than 30 miles of soft, white sand beaches, a thriving arts and culture scene, distinctive dining, great golf and the best of outdoor adventure, the Paradise Coast is truly a destination with it all.

Octagon, (IPG: NYSE) is the world’s largest sponsorship consulting practice, managing and influencing some $3 billion in sponsorship-related spending annually. Octagon also is a pioneer and leader in athlete & personality representation and management. With more than 800+ employees worldwide, Octagon works with hundreds of blue-chip corporate clients and more than 800 athletes & personalities clients and manages more than 5,000 events per year. Octagon’s Events & Hospitality team operates six professional golf tournaments, a professional bass fishing tournament and numerous first-class corporate hospitality events. To learn more about Octagon, visit: www.octagon.com

About the Champions Tour

Collectively, the Champions Tour has the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game, with many of its 32 members in the World Golf Hall of Fame competing regularly in its events. The Tour also counts numerous other major championship winners among its members. The Champions Tour is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. The Champions Tour’s primary purpose is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, protect the integrity of the game and generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays. Points earned in official Charles Schwab Cup events in 2014 determined Bernhard Langer as the Charles Schwab Cup champion, the season-long competition designed to recognize the Champions Tour’s leading player. The Commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Greg McLaughlin is President of the Champions Tour. The PGA TOUR’s website is pgatour.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Follow the Champions Tour at facebook.com/ChampionsTour and on Twitter @ChampionsTour.

Tournament in China as Charles Schwab Cup Enters 15th Year

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Following a year filled with record-breaking performances, the Champions Tour announced today the tournament schedule for the 2015 Champions Tour season.

The most notable changes for the 2015 schedule are the introduction of the Tucson Conquistadores Classic (March 16-22) at Omni Tucson National Resort Catalina Course and the Pacific Links China Championship (Sept. 14-20) relocating to Tianjin, China. The 27 Club, a Pacific Links property, will host the event on a course developed by 27 major champions, including Champions Tour professionals Mark O’Meara, Fred Couples and Tom Watson. Each professional designed their favorite elements into each hole to reflect the unique character of their individual games.

The 2015 schedule features 26 tournaments in three countries outside of the United States (Canada, England and China) and 17 different states for a total purse of more than $53 million. Of the 26 tournaments, exactly half feature total purses of more than $2 million.

The official 2015 season will begin on the Big Island of Hawaii at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai (Jan. 19-25), where the Champions Tour’s version of the Tournament of Champions will feature recent tournament winners and other notable players. The first full-field event, the Allianz Championship, will be played in Boca Raton, Fla. the week of Feb. 2-8.

Several date changes for established tournaments also impact the 2015 Champions Tour schedule. The Toshiba Classic, traditionally contested in March, moves to the penultimate event of the season (Oct. 26-Nov. 1). The Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge (April 20-26) returns to its original date after being played in early June in 2014. The two Canadian tournaments, played in consecutive weeks in 2014, are now separated by one month with the Shaw Charity Classic (Aug, 3-9) moving two weeks earlier and the Quebec Championship to be played the first week of September (Aug. 31-Sept. 6),

The Champions Tour also returns to the Boston area for the first time since 2008 with the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship (June 8-14) relocating from Pittsburgh to Belmont CC. The Donald Ross-designed course will host the major championship for one year.

The 2015 season will conclude with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship (Nov. 2-8) which returns to the Cochise Course at Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. for the second consecutive year.

The Charles Schwab Cup, won for the second time by Bernhard Langer in 2014, enters its 15th year as the successful season-long, points-based competition to determine the Champions Tour’s leading player. The program rewards consistency and awards points for top-10 finishes at all official tournaments. Double points are awarded at the five major championships and to all 30 players at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Langer set several all-time records during the Champions Tour’s 2014 season, most notably his 13-stroke margin of victory at the Senior Open Championship and the all-time record $3,074,189 he earned in a single season which helped secure the Jack Nicklaus Award as Player of the Year for a record fourth time. Also of note was Kevin Sutherland’s record-low round of 13-under 59 in the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open during his rookie year.

Official events will be televised nationally in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the Tour’s exclusive cable-television partner that reaches some 80 million homes in the United States. Three events will have network coverage on the weekend (NBC: Senior PGA Championship; ESPN: Senior Open Championship; FOX: U.S. Senior Open all four rounds). Champions Tour telecasts are distributed internationally in Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australasia, and Latin America through various distribution partners. The events air live, tape-delayed or in a highlights-package format in excess of 205 countries and territories, reaching more than 145 million households.

The Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament-Final Stage (Dec. 1-4) will be conducted at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona at the conclusion of the 2015 season.

NAPLES, Fla. (FEB. 16, 2014) – Kirk Triplett (67-67-66= -16) earned The ACE Group Classic title in his first appearance at The TwinEagles Club after calming sinking a six-foot par putt on the final hole win. With a potential three-man playoff in the works, missed par putts from defending champion Bernard Langer and Duffy Waldorf opened the door for Triplett to claim his third Champions tour victory and the $240,000 winner’s check.

“In my career I’ve never won out here on this side of the world. I’ve got a couple wins at Pebble and Tucson and Reno and L.A. I’m a West Coast guy through and through, so to win on this Bermuda grass is I think a little bit of a minor miracles for me,” joked Triplett in his post tournament interview.

The dramatic finish on 18 proved fitting as it was the most difficult hole for the week with an average score of 4.383 (+.383). Triplett’s shot sequence on 18 started with a drive that left him at 175 yards out but also placed him in a divot. He hit a 6 iron just pin high left; ending with a six-foot putt which was two-thirds of was uphill and downhill. Staying in a strong mental game came in clutch once out of the divot and lining up to take his final putt.

“Sometimes you’re playing these tournaments and you’re not in contention but you have a good last round and you get there with three or four holes to go,” Triplett said, “It is such a shock to be playing with the lead your get really nervous. But since the middle of yesterday I’ve been playing on the leader number, you know, so you kind of get in that mode of it’s not life or death.”

Not only was No. 18 the most difficult for the event, but it was also the toughest to birdie with just 13 in the tournament and only two during the final round with birdies from Jeff Sluman and Scott Dunlap.

Triplett’s win earned him 240 points in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race. Waldorf finished second for the second consecutive week. After losing in a playoff to Michael Allen last week, Waldorf saw his chances slip away during the final round when he made a bogey on his 54th hole, leaving him T2 with Langer and Olin Browne. For their efforts, they each earn $117,116 in official prize money.

For the fifteenth time in the 27 years of the Champions Tour event, the winner was decided by either a playoff or a single stroke.